Today’s Solutions: November 14, 2024

After over a year of dining outdoors, many people have come to love the experience of enjoying a meal in what would otherwise be a busy street or parking lane. Closed streets and dining terraces have made our cities more human-friendly and in the city of lights, the change is here to stay. 

Parisians are so fond of temporary café terraces that the French capital has created new guidelines to allow cafés to keep their terraces up through the summer and for some, permanently. 

Under the new regulations, Paris’ 9,800 cafes, bars, and restaurants will be allowed to occupy three parking spaces in front of their business for “summer terraces.” Summer is defined as the beginning of April through the end of October. Businesses can extend this to include an annual terrace, as long as it does not occupy more than one parking spot. Florists, book, and record stores are also being encouraged to take their operations outdoors. 

Some residents are hesitant about the excess noise these terraces would generate, so the city has mandated that outdoor operations cease by 10 pm and no music will be allowed in these converted parking spaces. Sidewalks and bike lanes must still be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, and for environmental reasons, the city has also banned the use of outdoor heaters. 

This policy change is helped by the already declining rate of private car ownership in the city. Excess parking has become so prevalent that some underground garages are being transformed into mushroom farms. 

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Two Black women to serve together in the United States Senate in a historic f...

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM For the first time in American history, two Black women will serve together in the Senate. Angela Alsobrooks, ...

Read More

Resilient community-building: staying safe in times of uncertainty

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY TEAM Recent global and domestic developments have left many feminists and allies feeling uneasy, uncertain about their place in society, ...

Read More

3 lifestyle hacks to help you become a little happier

There is no one path to finding happiness, but there are some lifestyle changes you can make to become more receptive to happiness. Without ...

Read More

For the first time ever, Greece meets energy demands with 100% renewables

The other week, Greece celebrated an exciting milestone! All of the country’s electricity needs were met by renewable energy for the first time, as ...

Read More